This invention relates to an improved machine for shredding a compacted fibrous material and pneumatically conveying the resultant shredded material for various purposes such as applying fibrous insulating materials onto the interior walls of building structures. This invention further contemplates an improved feeder for such a machine.
In the prior art, there has been developed a type of machine for shredding compacted fibrous materials and pneumatically conveying the resultant shredded materials which generally consists of a frame, a hopper mounted on such frame into which compacted fibrous materials may be introduced and means disposed in the hopper for shredding the compacted fibrous material and discharging the shredded material through an outlet into an airlock feeder. The shredding means typically consist of a pair of rotatable shafts provided with radially projecting arm members which engage and separate the compacted fibrous material. Augers also have been employed to advance the shredded material to the outlet of the hopper to be discharged into the airlock feeder. Such feeder typically has consisted of a housing provided with a rotor which functions to advance introduced fiber materials to a lower end of the housing where such material is impelled into a hose or other device by air under pressure introduced into the feeder. Examples of such machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,529,870 to Homer G. Wooten, 4,411,390 to Homer G. Wooten, 4,662,221 to Eugene Kaine et al.
In such machines, the feeder functions not only to convey shredded fibrous material from the hopper to a section of the feeder to be entrained in and conveyed by a stream of air under pressure but also to isolate the high pressure air stream injected through the feeder from the hopper which usually is at atmospheric pressure. To assure such isolation of the high pressure air stream, a seal is provided between the airlock and the hopper which periodically should be inspected and replaced to maintain the desired pressure of the air stream for suitably conveying the entrained fibrous materials.
Although such prior art machines have been suitable in shredding compacted fibrous materials and introducing them into a high pressure air stream, it has been found that such machines have not been entirely satisfactory in performance in that the feed rate of the shredded fibrous material introduced into the air stream has not been sufficient to produce a desired density of the shredded fibrous material entrained in the air stream and thus more efficiently convey such material. It further has been found that the design of such machines has not been conducive to readily detaching the feeders thereof to allow the removal of foreign matter from the feeders, or the inspection and replacement of the internal rotor seals of the feeders.
It thus is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved machine of the type described and an improved feeder for such machine which overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of such prior art machines.
The present invention provides an improved machine for separating a compacted fibrous material and pneumatically impelling separated fibrous material which generally comprises a hopper having a trough at a lower end thereof, such trough being provided with an outlet, a pair of augers disposed in the trough operable to advance separated fibrous material toward the outlet, means disposed in the hopper between an inlet of the hopper and the trough for shredding compacted fibrous material introduced into the hopper, an airlock feeder having an inlet communicating with the trough outlet, a motor and means for conveying drive from the motor to the shredding means, the augers and the feeder. Preferably, the hopper includes a pair of laterally spaced side walls converging toward the trough, the augers disposed in the trough are counter-rotating and the rotor of the feeder is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets each communicable in a first position with the trough outlet for receiving separated fibrous material therefrom and communicable in a second position with an inlet of the feeder communicable with a source of air under pressure and with an outlet of the feeder. It further is preferred that the airlock feeder be displaceable between a first position wedged between an outlet portion of the hopper and an opposed surface, operable to receive and impel shredded fibrous material and a second position, detached from the hopper permitting a seal provided on the feeder surface and engagable with the hopper to be inspected and easily replaced. A manually operated mechanism further is provided for displacing the feeder between such first and second positions.